11 Houbara bustards rescued in UAE to be released in the wild

Eleven Asian Houbara bustards rescued by UAE Customs in Ras Al Khaimah will be released back to the wild, according to International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC).
Twelve houbara were originally seized by customs officials during a failed smuggling attempt on the Al Darah border checkpoint with Oman on January 22.
The birds had been stuffed inside plastic bags with their wings taped up and placed in a spare tyre.

Upon inspection by IFHC, which oversees one of the world's largest multi-region conservation projects to increase wild populations of the houbara species in its natural habitats, one of the original 12 houbaras was extremely sick and had to be euthanised.
A post-mortem examination revealed the female bustard had suffered damage to both wings and numerous internal organs, including the liver, pancreas, kidneys and thyroid glands.
The report also revealed Aspergillomas - a clump of mould - in its lungs, while microbiology reports came back positive for E.Coli.
Smuggled houbara typically carry diseases and suffer tremendous stress from capture and illicit transportation. The knock-on effect is that severely sick houbara canendanger the lives of falcons during hunt training.
The illegal houbara trade represents a serious sanitary threat for the entire fauna, including falcons. With only one in 10 wild houbara surviving being smuggled across the UAE border, the illegal trade is a significant factor in the historic houbara population decline and, therefore, a major threat to traditional Arabian falconry.

"Had the infected smuggled houbara been eaten by a falcon it may have proven fatal to the raptor, so we thank our Customs and Quarantine colleagues in Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai for the diligent and professional care they showed these vulnerable creatures," said His Excellency Majid Ali Al Mansouri, IFHC's Managing Director.

With the 11 remaining bustards cleared of contagious diseases during IFHC's medical examinations, the recovering flock is responding well to rehabilitation and treatment ahead of their future release into the wild.

"Our plan is to release the birds following the completion of their rehabilitation," said Al Mansouri. "As a migratory species, if we release them in the UAE we are givingthem a chance to complete their migration back to their breeding ground. All birds will be fitted with satellite transmitters to monitor their movement and future migration."

Under UAE Law No. 11/2002, which relates to the smuggling of endangered animals, convicted smugglers face a potential fine of Dh20,000 to Dh50,000, and imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months.The far greater threat, however, lies in the potential health implications for falcons.
"Smuggling animals is a deplorable act and the Fund condemns the actions of the individuals in this case. Falconers need to understand they are putting their prized raptors at risk by exposing them to smuggled houbara which often carry lethal diseases," added Al Mansouri.

• UAE
• Ras Al Khaimah